Boston Red Sox starter Jon Lester was scratched from his start this week amid trade rumors at the trading deadline and while no deal is imminent, teams like the Seattle Mariners, Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves, Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, LA Dodgers and Pirates all could be interested in making a deal for him, but so far his agent has denied that he is being traded, while the Sox are likely being careful.
The Red Sox love Lester and he said he would be open to returning to the team this offseason in free agency, but so far they have been unable to come to a contract extension. According to SI.com and Hardball Talk, numerous teams are looking at Lester and while he would likely be a two month rental, teams appear to be willing to give up solid prospects for him as they try and make the playoffs, including the Brewers, Mariners and Orioles. All the teams mentioned above need pitching and this would be a major get for any of those clubs.
The Red Sox are out of things and look like sellers and they also are looking to deal John Lackey and now teams like the Athletics and Orioles may go all in on this season. The champs are 10 games under and looking like they are done this season and now Lester could overtake David Price as the top pitcher on the market, as the Rays have been hot and now are in the playoff picture. This season Lester has been very good, going with a 10-7 record and 2.52 ERA, but getting onto a winning team may help that even more.
The Marines are in the mix for a deal, as they need another starter with Roenis Elias getting his innings up and the team needing mere behind Felix and Iwakuma and the fact that he is from Tacoma helps. Like Price, Lester is likely not signing in Seattle and that means giving up prospects and knowing he could leave. The M's may be fine with that if it helps make the playoffs, as they haven't done that in a decade and then they can get a draft pick if he leaves after that.
The Orioles need more pitching and so do the Dodgers and the Cardinals have also been looking at Price and now could be in the mix for Lester. The team may not want to give up a top prospect without a financial commitment and that could hinder what they do. The Blue Jays have been looking at making a deal, as they are right in the mix for the division and they are also leading the wild card right now.
The Red Sox and Lester broke off talks during this season and now he comes in with a 10-7 record and 2.52 ERA and has been lights out as of late and now he can impact the playoff race. Lester wants big money and could be asking for about $22 million and this comes after he rejected a four-year, $70 million offer from the Sox earlier this year. The Red Sox don't want to give out big money deals and now this could be a major move for the team.
